OMAHA, Neb. — Cal Burke and Bobby Nardella each scored two goals and added three assists to lead the #2/3 Notre Dame hockey team to an 8-2 road win over NCHC foe Omaha on Saturday night at the Baxter Arena (6,209).
In net, junior Cale Morris stopped 31 of the 33 shots he faced as the Irish improved to 3-0-1 to start the season.
Two goals by Joe Wegwerth and a power-play marker by Dylan Malmquist powered the Irish to a 3-0 lead entering the first intermission before Burke netted a pair in the middle frame make it a five-goal contest after 40 minutes.
The Irish hit the eight-goal mark in the final period with a pair of shorthanded goals by Nardella along with another tally by Malmquist.
The Notre Dame penalty kill was stellar throughout, killing eight of nine minor penalties in the contest.
Next up, the No. 2/3 Notre Dame plays host to No. 3/2 Minnesota Duluth on Friday (7:00 p.m. ET) and Saturday (5:00 p.m. ET) night in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Championship game at the Compton Family Ice Arena. For tickets, click here.
NOTRE DAME GOAL DESCRIPTIONS
1-0 | Wegwerth scored at 3:26 of the first period when, from his knees in the low slot, he slid the puck past Matej Tomek for his third goal of the season. Nardella carried the puck into the offensive zone on a three-on-two rush and got it to Wegwerth to earn the primary assist.
2-0 | Notre Dame took a 2-0 lead at 6:17 of the first when Malmquist finished off a nice passing sequence by beating Tomek high from the bottom of the circle while the Irish were on the power play. Cal Burke fed Malmquist with the cross-crease pass to create the chance, while Nardella earned his second assist of the night on the play.
3-0 | Wegwerth pushed the lead to 3-0 at 17:25 of the first period when he worked his way to the front of the net and tipped in a Nardella shot. Burke also posted an assist on the play.
4-0 | Just 1:13 into the second, Burke picked up the puck in the neutral zone, blew by the Omaha defense and scored on a breakaway with a finish low past Tomek.
5-0 | Burke forced Omaha into a turnover in the neutral zone and scored on another breakaway, this time while the Irish were shorthanded for his first career shorthanded goal. The goal, scored at 10:24 of the second, chases Tomek from the game as he was replaced by Alex Blankenburg in the Omaha net.
6-0 | Fifty-seven seconds into the final stanza, Malmquist extended the Irish lead when he skated down the left wing, deked around a defender and slipped a forehand shot past Blankenburg for his second tally of the night. Cal Burke and Andrew Peeke recorded assists on the goal.
7-0 | Just 21 seconds after Malmquist’s marker, Nardella netted Notre Dame’s seventh tally of the game. Graham fed a pass to the goalline for Nardella, who collected the puck and beat Blankenburg from the odd angle for the goal.
8-1 | Nardella put home Notre Dame’s second shorthanded goal on a five-on-three advantage for the Mavericks. After an Omaha turnover in the Irish zone, Nardella skated the puck on a two-on-one rush and fired a shot from the left circle for the score 8:59 into the final period.
NOTES
- The Fighting Irish put up eight goals, their most since a 9-2 home win over Arizona State on Oct. 7, 2016.
- Joe Wegwerth’s third goal of the season gave the Irish a 1-0 lead marking his third game-opening goal this season (Mercyhurst and Providence).
- Wegwerth finished with two goals for his sixth career multi-point game.
- With two goals and three assists, Bobby Nardella has opened the season on a four-game point streak (3G, 7A). It marked Nardella’s second three assist game of the season and the 15th multi-point game of his career.
- Nardella’s five points were a career high and he also posted his first career shorthanded goal.
- Notre Dame scored two shorthanded goals in the same game for the first time since an 8-1 win over Northern Michigan on Jan. 7, 2011.
- Cal Burke posted two goals and three assists for the first five-point game of his career
- Burke, who also notched the first shorthanded goal of his career, now has eight career multi-point games.
- Cale Morris had his personal shutout streak snapped at 116:15 when Omaha scored in the third period.
— ND —